


Hold Me Through It

by afangirlsplaylist



Series: Hold Me Through It [1]
Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, M/M, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-17
Updated: 2017-02-17
Packaged: 2018-09-25 04:55:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9803423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afangirlsplaylist/pseuds/afangirlsplaylist
Summary: Headcanon origin story about how the I’m dead move became something else.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [WolfSpirit00](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfSpirit00/gifts).



The first time he witnessed one of Link’s attacks Rhett wasn’t supposed to see it. 

He was meant to be home from a party later in the evening, but he’d declared it a dud and ditched early, figuring he’d either get some needed sleep or study with Link. Having mocked his friend for staying back before he left he was leaning pretty heavily towards the former option, until he got to his room.

He heard it before he saw it. The profanities spewing from his friend’s mouth filtered through the door as he opened it, immediately letting him know something was wrong. It didn’t take him long to figure out that his friend was in the middle of an anxiety induced melt down, too far gone to even acknowledge his presence. Link was always wired and shaky but this was beyond the norm, as piles of papers flew off Link’s desk in the wake of hurricane Neal. Link ran his hands through his hair and smacked them against his head in frustration, leaning down to scream into the wood of the desk when it wasn’t enough. Rhett could only assume the night’s study had not gone well, which was of course a massive understatement.

He rushed into the room once he’d had time to take it in, throwing off his jacket as he went. “Shit, Link. What are you doing?” 

When Link didn’t answer he dived forward and grabbed his friend by the back of the head, holding it away from the desk before he could bruise it further. The only answer Link gave him was to flail harder, trying to fight Rhett off. But he was too strong for him, and quickly had him pinned underneath him.

“I’m dead.” He said calmly, almost letting go in shock at how violently Link was trying to shake him - shoving his arm and legs into the body holding him.

“Fuckin’ just - fuck! stop!” Link screamed, making Rhett supremely thankful that half their hall was out tonight as he held on tighter. He winced with the effort it took to hold on until Link gradually began to give up and relax.

“You stupid… let go.” Link mumbled weakly, trying to shove him off with his elbows even as he grew steadily weaker in Rhett’s arms.

They stayed embracing for a few moments until Link’s breathing started to slow, becoming calm and quiet. The sudden change made Rhett turn his head, surprised when he saw Link’s eyelids starting to fall closed. “You falling asleep?”

“No.” Link said unconvincingly, even as he burrowed deeper into the hold.

Rhett smiled and took that as his cue to pull away, but as he did he felt Link grab his arm in a panic, the renewed shaking of his hand vibrating Rhett’s elbow. “Stay there.”

So Rhett did, leaning over to blanket his friend with his torso and arms again. “Why?”

“Better.” Link said simply, before falling still a final time. 

They avoided talking about it the next day. Link wasn’t willing to open the topic up for discussion and Rhett just assumed Link was embarrassed by the whole thing. In a fit of comradery, he fought hard against every impulse to tease Link about it, taking his friend’s lead and pretending that it didn’t happen.

Except it had happened, and now that he was aware of them Rhett couldn’t help noticing the tells of Link’s anxiety. The way his pen shook in his hand, the removal of his glasses to rub at his eyes, his laboured breathing and the slow grinding of his teeth were all signs that Link needed out of his own head. The warnings were so clear he was amazed they had passed him by for so long, and made him a little mad at himself. Each time he would step forward and wordlessly offer his arms to him again, but Link just rebuffed him - clenching his fist and breathing hard as he rode out the assault on his mind. It wasn’t until a particularly bad episode had Link crying underneath him, half out of embarrassment and half because he was overwhelmed, that he accepted his help from then on.

When Link met Christy he let him tell her about the attacks in his own time, and the two quickly formed a team of sorts when it came to supporting Link, much to his annoyance usually. He gave them his blessing by the end of the third date, when he came home to find her arm wrapped firmly around his arm, gripping it tightly in a way he was all too familiar with as they watched TV. She would admit to Rhett later that she couldn’t get him through the bigger attacks the way he could. So he became accustomed, after every one of their fights, to finding Link at his door, holding out a case of beer with a shaking arm. He’d welcome him in and walk into the lounge to find Link already on the couch, waiting for Rhett to instinctively take a seat next to him and envelope him with his arms.  

It became almost like a ritual before performances and exams, eventually spilling over into the stresses of their careers. By the time their Internetainment partnership had really took off the episodes had became part of their relationship, as did their methods of getting Link through them. Neither of them would ever apologise for it or take time to examine it afterward, and few outside of Stevie and their wives ever witnessed it.

Of Link refused to take anxiety medication when he finally got it prescribed, preferring the hold of his wife and friend over a regular pill. The I’m dead quickly became the main treatment instead, but they soon discovered it was by no means the only way. He could have his hand on Link’s forehead, throat, waist or shoulders and it would still have a calming effect on him, just so long as he was held.

In time Link could communicate almost telepathically when he was in a panic, catching Rhett’s eyes from across the room as his chest began to visibly heave with his heavy breathing. Getting the message in an instant Rhett would tell the crew to take five, leading Link off set to the quiet of their locked office. They’d done this too long to feel awkward about touching each other, so Rhett had no qualms about wrapping an arm around Link’s waist and pressing a palm to his forehead, squeezing gently every so often until his friend calmed. He could tell when to let go when he felt the slight clamminess of Link’s forehead get steadily warmer under his hand when he pressed down, until it felt right again. 

Link would sigh and lean back into Rhett’s arms, resting comfortably until he inevitably asked the question he always asked. “You’re never going to tell anyone about this right?”

Rhett acted confused, as if trying to understand the question. “Tell anyone what?”

Link smiled and squeezed him back in thanks, and then he got back up.


End file.
